Pork Chop Cutlets with a kick of heat!

hat is tastier than a little deep-fried pork? Home on the Range Organics carries local pork and other local meats 235 East Broadway, Vancouver. This recipe for pork chop cutlets was inspired by Anthony Bourdain, but Chef Allen Ingram put his own spin on the recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 boneless pork chop cutlets (about 6 ounces each)
• ¼ cup Gluten Free Tamari Sauce
• ¼ cup Chinese rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or dark brown sugar if you dont have any coconut sugar)
• 1 large organic egg
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups panko bread crumbs (use a gluten free crumb if you prefer)
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• a few turns of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups peanut oil, for frying (plus more as needed)
• chili paste, for serving

Instructions

1. Place the chops between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them out to about ¼-inch thickness using a rolling pin (or forgo the plastic and use a meat mallet, if you have one). Place the pork chops in a sealable plastic bag.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the tamari, rice wine vinegar, black vinegar, sesame oil, five-spice powder, and sugar. Pour the mixture over your pork chops, turning them over to make sure they’re coated well, then press as much air out of the bag as you can and seal. Refrigerate for at least one hour, but it’s best to leave them overnight.
3. When ready to fry, remove the pork from the marinade and brush off the garlic (it will just burn). Beat the egg in a shallow dish with about a tablespoon of water, and place the flour and bread crumbs in separate shallow dishes.
4. In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan (like a cast iron pan), add your oil and heat to medium-high. The best way to test this is to take a pinch of bread crumbs and add them to the oil. If they sizzle immediately, your oil is ready.
5. While the oil heats up, dredge the pork chops in the flour, shaking off any extra, then dip them in the egg, then into the panko. Add to the frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown (be sure to turn them carefully). Remove the cooked pork chops from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel-lined plate or sheet pan for a minute or so. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and crushed red pepper flakes, for presentation, mostly, if you like.
6. To serve, place the pork chops on your plate and drizzle with chili paste.

Prep time:  1 hour 15 mins
Cook time:  45 mins
Total time:  2 hours